military

30. January: Througha Soviet submarine is sunk the steamer „William Gustloff “. Of approx. 10,000 humans (refugees from East Prussia) on board outlived only about 1,200 humans; this concerns the largest ship disaster of world history

technology

24. January: In Peenemuende becomesa winged version of the A4 /V2- rocketthe A4b for the first time successfully started. It is to achieve the double range of the A4, falls however because of a wing break prematurely. More 1 comes to no further start of this